Sangamon Sun

The Illinois College Lady Blues faced a narrow defeat against Cornell College, opening their conference play with a 60-58 loss. This game took place in Jacksonville, Illinois, and resulted in the Lady Blues moving to a 2-6 record for the season, while Cornell advanced to 4-3.

In the initial quarter, the Lady Blues were trailing 16-14 but managed to turn the tables by halftime, leading 36-30. They maintained an advantage of up to 11 points during the third quarter and entered the final quarter seven points ahead.

Both teams struggled offensively in the fourth quarter, collectively making only six field goals. The decisive moment came with six seconds left when Illinois College was penalized with a flop technical foul. Erin Knowles of Cornell capitalized on this opportunity by converting both free throws, securing Cornell's victory.

Kallie Oestreicher was a standout performer for the Lady Blues, scoring 17 points and collecting eight rebounds while hitting five out of eight three-point attempts. Ashlyn Wightman contributed with ten points and seven rebounds. Despite outrebounding Cornell 48-44, Illinois College found themselves at a disadvantage in free throw opportunities as Cornell had 26 attempts compared to their six. Anna McKee also added nine points along with six rebounds and three steals.

Looking ahead, the Lady Blues are scheduled to play Ripon College at home for their last home game of the year.